Director/Actor Andréas Voutsinas Passes Away At 79

Director/Actor Andréas Voutsinas, best known to audiences for his role as Carmen Ghia in the 1968 Mel Brooks comedy "The Producers," has passed away at 79. Voutsinas died in Athens on Tuesday.

The Greek artist was born in Khartoum, Sudan in 1931.

Other film appearances included Mel Brooks' “History of the World: Part 1,” and in Luc Besson’s “Big Blue.” In addition to directing and acting, Voutsinas served as acting coach to several Hollywood stars, including Jane Fonda, Faye Dunaway, Warren Beatty and Anne Bancroft, according to the New York Times.

In 1962, Mr. Voutsinas directed Jane Fonda on Broadway in the short-lived play The Fun Couple. Other Broadway credits include The Natural Look, The Changeling and J.B.